Rosie Costain’s work, “The Institute” earned an honorable mention from the 2016 Oval staff. Rosie is from Helena, Montana and came to UM to pursue journalism. She writes that she is “also attempting to be an aspiring writer.”

The fictional piece begins:

The old man attempted to toss back and forth in his sleep, hindered by the overstuffed chair.

…..

Impression, Sunrise, 1873

A dark scene is shown with the rising sun providing a focused point of color above a grey world of boats on the water.

While spending some time abroad in France (that’s where he was for now anyway), the man, who seemed quite boyish still, stood in front of Impression, Sunrise, the painting that named an art revolution. Everyone had said it was a “must-see” in Paris so he decided he must see it. Leaning forward, squinting his eyes, he tried to gain a better understanding of what he thought was nothing more than a dull, blurry picture that he could probably recreate with little effort.